An articulated rotating brush for office endometrial evaluation of climacteric outpatients.

This paper reports the experience obtained in the last 8 years with an instrument (articulated rotative brush) that allows access to the entire endometrial surface, obtaining material for both histological and cytological study. The latter has the advantage of reducing the number of cases in which insufficient material frustrates endometrial assessment. In addition to the overall experience gained with this instrument, the proportion of agreement with anatomo-pathological diagnosis after hysterectomy in 61 patients was high (96%) and the unweighted kappa statistic (0.862) indicated very good accordance between these techniques. Comparison between the present method and hysteroscopic observations in 84 patients with perimenopausal bleeding revealed a general conformity of 0.65 and an unweighted kappa statistic of 0.368 (fair agreement). In a group of 72 cases with postmenopausal bleeding a general conformity value of 0.92 was obtained, with an unweighted kappa statistic of 0.84 (very good agreement). In 90% of the cases the procedure was well accepted. In 57.3% of the cases, no difficulties were encountered using the brushing technique; in 25.9% slight dilatation was deemed necessary, whereas in 16.8% technical difficulties could not be overcome and general anesthesia was indicated. A total of 769 outpatients were investigated, 75.3% of which had normal endometria, 12.7% benign hyperplasias, 2.6% precursor lesions, 1.7% suspect carcinoma, and 4.2% carcinomas. Insufficient material for diagnosis occurred in 3.5% of cases tested. The combined cytohistological and hysteroscopic assessment of the endometrium provides satisfactory results in the etiological diagnosis of peri and postmenopausal bleeding, and in the follow up of patients undergoing hormonal replacement therapy (HRT).

Predictive value of phenotypic cytologic characteristics in early dysplastic cervical lesions.

Four phenotypic cytologic parameters (koilocytotic changes, binucleation, multinucleation and the presence of metaplastic dysplastic cells) were evaluated in the initial cervical smears from 89 women who presented with slight or moderate dysplastic changes and had an adequate follow-up. The cases were divided in two groups according to their evolution: the 51 cases constituting group I showed persistence or progression of the lesions while the 38 cases in group II showed regression. Koilocytosis in 40% or more of the cells in a smear proved to have the greatest predictive value as an indicator of a lesion with less risk of progression. Multinucleation may have a similar value, but to a lesser degree. Binucleation and metaplastic dysplastic cells showed no statistical differences between persistence cases and regression cases. A fifth parameter, positivity to human papillomavirus capsid antigen by the immunoperoxidase technique, doubled its frequency in the regression group. The evaluation of these variables may provide a means of assessing the evolutionary potential of precursor cervical lesions, based on these lesions' cytologic phenotypic profiles.

Sequential use of conjugated estrogens and medroxyprogesterone in the climacteric syndrome: clinical and histological findings.

Seventy-four symptomatic postmenopausal women received conjugated equine estrogens, 0.625 mg daily, alternating 3 wk of treatment with 1 wk free. Medroxyprogesterone acetate, 10 mg daily, was added from day 12 to day 21 of the estrogen therapy. The length of treatment ranged between 36 and 50 mth (media 42.8). This sequential treatment appears to be an effective medication for menopausal women as 86.4% of patients showed a complete regression of symptoms. Its acceptability may be considered good since few side effects and low incidence of abandons (12.2%) were registered. Medroxyprogesterone seems to be a useful agent to counteract the possible cocarcinogenetic effect of conjugated estrogens on account of the high incidence of induced secretory endometrium obtained (92.2%), the reversal of six pretreatment endometrial hyperplasias and the absence of any premalignant endometrial lesion after at least 3 yr of this sequential treatment. The only case of endometrial cancer registered does not jeopardize this conclusion as was observed in a women who took medroxyprogesterone very irregularly.

Endometrial cancer and its precursors: a comparison of histological and clinical features.

In this study, the histological definition of endometrial cancer precursor (ECP) lesions is discussed and a comparison is made of clinical and histological parameters of ECP patients and endometrial cancer (EC) patients. ECP lesions were divided in 3 types: adenomatous hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia and in situ adenocarcinoma. The following parameters were analyzed: age, menopausal status, gynecological and extragynecological familiar cancer incidence, other cancers in the proband, diabetes, obesity, primary infertility, fertility and previous estrogen therapy. Results give support to the hypothesis of the existence of a common biological pathway between ECP and EC. The high frequency of coexistence of both types of lesions in hysterectomy specimens from EC patients studied by step sections adds a confirmatory supporting argument. Measures for primary and secondary prevention of these lesions are proposed.

[Use of a new steroid (Org OD 14) in the climacteric syndrome]. / Uso de un nuevo esteroide (Org OD 14) en el síndrome climatérico.

A double-blind study was carried out in 60 women with climacteric symptoms: 30 women were given Org OD 14 (2.5 mg) and 30 were given a placebo to be taken daily for six weeks. The effects of the medication on the climacteric symptoms, the subjective sensations, the plasma FSH levels and endometrial histology were studied. In the treated group compared with the control group the relief or improvement of the following climacteric symptoms were recorded: perspiration, palpitations, irritability and backache. A favourable effect on the subjective sensations was noted in both groups, although no significant difference for the group which received Org OD 14 was found. At the end of the treatment with Org OD 14, the FSH levels were found to be greatly reduced in comparison with the basal values; this, however, was not the case with the placebo group. With regard to endometrial histology, no sign of hyperplasia was found in any of the patients. No relevant side effects or symptoms of estrogenic or androgenic stimulation were recorded. For the climacteric patient needing estrogen therapy, it can be concluded that Org OD 14 is an effective and innocuous medication in the doses used.